The cycle of improvement

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa shrugs, "Jarem's right, he'll demand two. I'm pretty good at arguing, but let's be safe and assume two."

[Anastasia]

"One charge for Alyssa and..." Jarem muses, "Rather than argue it, how about we draw lots?"

"Do you think it will be that acrimonious?" Emily frowns at that, shaking her head, "We can argue it like adults."

"We can," Jarem agrees, "But do either of you intend to relinquish your claim?" After two headshakes, one from each, "All of us have a strong argument for the last charge. An argument about it does us no good and friendships have broken over far less. Either decide it in a way outside of our hands to manipulate, or we give Alyssa both charges and remove the temptation."

Bastian scowls, "You're being as asshole about it, but you're right. The thought of how to trick you into giving me the charge crossed my mind." He takes a breath, "Give it to Alyssa."

"Really?" Emily says, "Why, Bastian?" She looks to him, a hand to her chest.

"She won the damn thing by herself or close enough to it." Bastian answers, "It's her prize."

"Is divinity worth it?" Honeydip speaks up as you all talk, eyes turning to her.

"Yeah. It is," Jarem replies immediately, "It's a hell of a gift and a hell of a burden, but I'd do it again without a second thought. Being a proxy gets a taste of it, but only a taste."

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa rolls her eyes to look at the sky consideringly, "... it might not be. I've been thinking on this, and it came up briefly with the Guardian and Galgathorn. Power comes with divinity, and a way of understanding things that's beyond mortals, but... It comes with its own chains, so to speak. What you have authority over becomes what you are in a way that's difficult to describe.

Think of it this way: who you are now is a different person than who you were as a teenager, and they were different than you as a child, right? Sure, the core drives might be the same... or they might not be. And who you are ten, twenty, or further in the future will be different than who you are now.

It's... Different for the divine. They are define the aspects of Creation they have influence on, and are in turn defined and constrained by them. It seems to me that the divine don't... grow. Or develop beyond what they already are. You know of, at least, a few Gods now. How many of them ever turn from their path in a meaningful way?

Take Galgathorn. No matter what he experiences in the next thousand years, his driving force will never be anything more than power and victory. Jarem will never stop being a General, a soldier. Emily will never be driven by anything but righteousness and liberation. Bastian will never be able to turn away from the need for traveling and developing strength.

But you? A mortal? Song and battle is your focus now, but how many dedicated fighters have you known, or know about, that have turned away from that life entirely for something else? A family? A solider becoming a farmer or merchant? It seems to me that the divine are incapable of that."

Alyssa turns her eyes to Dolmaya, "And I suspect a few of the longer lived and wiser mortals have seen this trap in divinity. And it might truly be a trap. There's no better way to ensure victory over all than by making them utterly predictable down to the core of their existence; no better way of ensuring those who might one day develop the power to stand against you are forced by their very natures to be divided against each other to prevent them from banding together against you."

[Anastasia]

Gathgorian. Your typos of his name continue to amaze me.

Emily misstates certain motivations here, her understanding of the people involved isn't as complete as she images.

"I'm not greatly drawn to it," Honeydip states at last, "I've heard the same as you say said about spirits and outsiders, and how rarely they change paths. Fallen angels are the exceptions to the rules, not the rule. I've become more a spirit and it does change you. What is good and what is free comes so much more easily to me now."

"On the other hand," Emily's thoughtfully quiet, "Eblis was banished from Hell, as was Gathgorian. Both are possessed of one identical factor: A tremendous will driven by one absolute desire. The destruction of the Heavens, the total defeat of Chaos. Both managed to become One without the aid we enjoyed. The only one I know who also did that is Antenora, who is likewise driven by redemption. Maybe that's not all it is, Alyssa, but instead its those with those sort of indomitable wills are the ones who can become divine by themselves?"

"I'll make you my proxy if you want it," Bastian offers, "Taste it. We're close to compatible in the ways that matter."

Lady Honeydip flutters there before, "I will accept your offer, but I concede my interest in this seed. Alyssa and Emily's words provoke a great deal of questions in me, ones I will have to consider."

[Iron Dragoon]

"Which works, exactly? And it sounds like Emily is the only one who hasn't decided yet."

[Anastasia]

Words, not works. Bad typo for me.

"Well..." Emily says, "Rather than lots that may still imbue bad feeling - I think giving it to Alyssa may be right here. We're all divine now who want to be, which means we can Compete and improve ourselves."

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa nods, "If that's your decision, then it's the plan. Alright, now to deal with Gathgorian."

Alyssa sends a message to him, My sources have come to a consensus on the energy in the seed. Are you ready to meet and discuss the charges?

[Anastasia]

Yes. Return to my realm.

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa huffs, "He wants me to come to his realm. Show of power, I'm sure. Who wants to go visit with me?"

[Anastasia]

"I will," Jarem says immediately.

"As will I," Dolmaya seconds, "Three should make the statement loud and clear."

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa nods, "Then Bastian, Dolmaya, and Honeydip can stand by for emergencies. I don't expect there to be any issues beyond the argument. I got an oath out of him for my safety and for my allies. An oath on his Lord's name."

[Anastasia]

Dolmaya said she'd go but you want her to stand by, just to be clear?

[Iron Dragoon]

No, sorry. For some reason my brain transposed Emily/Dolmaya. Dolmaya is fine to come.

[Anastasia]

Thus the two of you come. Gathgorian is there and awaits you, awaiting your words.

[Iron Dragoon]

"My contacts said that the energy was a trap; a dead end and to ignore it. It'll present power at first, but wind up at a dead end."